Yankees loaded, Red Sox restocking

DL Hall was the Orioles' first-rounder and a top-10 talent in the draft but was wilder than expected in his brief pro ball stints and might be a bit further away than expected. Nate Thurmond Womens Jersey He's still up to 94 with a hammer curveball and plus changeup, needing work on consistency in the delivery Scott Darling Jersey to improve his command and control. He's too good to be my sleeper http://www.officialbuccaneersnflstore.com/YOUTH+O+J+HOWARD+JERSEYfor the organization -- see below for another, more obscure name for that -- but I would be surprised if he didn't at least get close to the top 100 next year after he gets some more pro innings under his belt in low-A or short-season. They lost iron man Bryan Shaw and in-season acquisition Joe Smith in free agency, though they bring back five relievers with sub-3.00 ERAs, plus lefty Tyler Olson, who didn't allow a run in 20 innings. I could see the Indians adding a low-cost vet. Outfield production is a bit of a concern given Michael Brantley's injury history and some uncertainty over Bradley Zimmer's bat, but they should have a comfortable margin in the division, and that will allow them to make another Jay Bruce-like acquisition if needed. Of course, what I'd love to see is a mega-trade to acquire Manny Machado, but the Orioles now appear intent on giving Machado a season at shortstop. ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Now that the neighbors have gone home, the catered spread has been picked over and the first round of the MLB draft is complete, the top picks are free to exhale and revel in the high points. They'll save the video of commissioner Rob Manfred calling their names on live TV and savor the memory of that emotional hug with mom and dad at the height of the watch party.The hard part begins once the contract is signed and the minor league debut awaits. That's when reality sets in and the hot prospect learns that hype and a seven-figure bonus count for Johnny Hekker Womens Jerseyonly so much. Mark Appel is mindful of the challenges each day as a member of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs' rotation. Coca-Cola Park in Allentown sits about 60 miles from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, but it seems farther away when the Phillies are recalling Zach Eflin, Nick Pivetta and Ben Lively to fill holes in their rotation and Appel is throwing a bullpen session beneath a giant fluorescent image of Ferrous, the male half of the IronPigs' mascot tandem. It has been four years since the Houston Astros, Appel's hometown team, picked the Stanford alumnus No. 1 overall -- leaving the Chicago Cubs to swoop in and take University of San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant with the second pick. While Bryant has a World Series ring, a National League MVP trophy, a Rookie of the Year award and a growing endorsement portfolio, Appel is in Triple-A working on fastball command and learning the value of patience at age 25. "Possibly it's just naiveté when I was younger, but when you get drafted, you think you're going to have this perfect career," Appel said. "You think, 'Big leagues by 22 or 23, then free agency by 29.' I'm such a planner and analyzer. I was like, http://www.steelersnflofficialproshop.com/WOMENS_YOUTH_LC_GREENWOOD_JERSEY.html'OK, this is the course I'm setting for myself.' Obviously, that hasn't happened, so there's kind of a redefinition of what success looks like." Appel's career is a cautionary tale for elite prospects who think everything is going to come easily. After the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him with the eighth pick in the 2012 draft, Appel decided to return to Stanford for his senior year. The strategy worked nicely when the Astros picked him No. 1 and Appel agreed to a $6.35 million bonus with the help of his adviser, Scott Boras. But the three years since have included enough setbacks to test Appel's resolve and his character. he 2014 season began with an appendectomy and bottomed http://www.officialnewyorkrangers.com/Adidas-Glenn-Anderson-Jersey out when Appel logged a 10.35 ERA with Lancaster in the high-A California League. He persevered and made it to Double-A ball before putting together a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League. "He's a big, physical guy, and he's got a decent arm, but he really struggles with command," an AL scout said. "He's not able to repeat his delivery, and I think that's one of the more significant sources to his issues. He struggles to do anything with any shred of consistency, and that has kind of a ripple effect on his performance, stuff and ability to command a baseball."Maybe the stuff plays up as a bullpen guy, and he doesn't have to command it as much. I think at some point, he will get an opportunity somewhere to pitch in the big leagues, but I don't necessarily know if he's going to establish himself as a mainstay on anybody's roster. I hope I'm wrong." At the moment, the Phillies' player development people continue to focus on getting Appel right as a starter. They understand the burden he has lugged around as a former top pick on a deliberate developmental track, and one of their objectives is to free his mind so his body will follow."We want him to be a major league starter," Phillies farm director Joe Jordan said. "That's our goal. It doesn't have to be top of the rotation. He just needs to be one of five. As he has success, where he fits in the rotation can be defined later. "It's been a challenge. I saw him as an amateur, and I saw the things the Pirates and Astros and a lot of other people in baseball liked. Mark is a smart guy who's probably overthought things way too much, which isn't totally uncommon. But I believe now more than ever that he has a handle on where he's at, and we have a handle on what he needs from us and where we need to direct him. I think we're on an uptick. Good things are starting to happen." Even in the upper minors, playing in a gem of a Triple-A ballpark, Appel lives a different life from Bryant, Jon Gray, Aaron Judge and the other members of that 2013 first-round draft class who have graduated to the majors. After a recent IronPigs road trip, he woke up at 4:30 a.m., caught the team bus at 5, shared a commercial flight with his teammates to Newark at 7, rode another bus to Allentown and grabbed a 90-minute nap at home before heading to the park for his bullpen session. cheap jerseysnike nfl jerseys size chartwholesale jerseys from chinacheap nba jerseys